Burial-casket.



No. 706,960. Patented Aug. l2, I902.

J. KOEGEL.

BURIAL CASKET.

(Application filed Dec. 16. 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet].

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Patented Aug. I2, I902. J! KUEGEL.

BURIAL GASKET. (Applicatifm filed. Dec. B -190]).

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(No Model.)

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JULIUS KOEGEL, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

BURIAL CASKETQ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 6,960,dated August 12, 1902. Application filed December 16,1901. Serial No.86,067. (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIUS KOEGEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Caskets orGoffins; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification. i

This invention relates to coilins or caskets for burial purposes; andthe objects of the in vention are to provide a fastening or lockingmeans for the casket which can be operated from the interior as well asfrom the exterior; to provide windows or light-openings in the sides ofthe casket to facilitate the operation of the interior handle; tofurnish springs which will throw open the casket-cover as soon as it isunlocked, and thus to enable a supposed deadperson who revives at thelast moment before burial to escape from his imprisonment with a minimumefiort; to thus decrease the danger of burying people alive, and tosecure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred tohereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

Theinvention consistsin the improved burial-casket or coflin and in thearrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially aswill be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of theclaim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views,Figure l is a perspective view of the exterior of my improved casketclosed. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same with the cover thrown open.Fig. 3 is aplan of the casket closed. Figsil and 5 are verticalcross-sections, as on lines a; and 3 Fig. 3, respectively. Fig. 6 isadetail section taken longitudinally through the handles or lockingmeans. Fig. 7

is a detail section taken transversely through said handles or lockingmeans, as on line a, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View of ofsaid body portion is closed by two similar covers I) I), each hinged atits outer edge to the side walls of the casket and the two heingadaptedto meet at their inner edges when closed. Upon one of said covers, as1), near its free edge, so as to be adapted to engage the edge of theother, is a handle 0, pivoted upon a bolt d, which extends through thesaid cover and carries atits inner end. a handle 0', similar to thehandle 0 and adapted to always lie in the same position. The bolt cl,upon which said handles are mounted, comprises a cylindrical middleportion 61', which is seated in an aperture of the casket-cover andadapted to turn therein. At each end of saidcylindrical portion d is asquared extension adapted to receive one of the said handles, and theend of said extension (1 is screw-threaded, as at (i to receive a nut 0Zwhich serves to hold thehandle in place upon the bolt. Said bolt thusturns with the handles, and said handles may be swung into longitudinalposition with respect to the casket to permit the lids or covers to beopened, as shown-in Fig. 2, or else turned to lie transversely of thecasket, as in Fig. 1, where the parallel projecting ends of the handlesbeyond the cover or lid on which they are mounted clasp betweenthemselves the other lid or cover, as clearly shown in Figs. 4: and 6.

To prevent the covers 5 b from drawing apart even when the handles arein locked position, I provide upon the cover I), not having handles, aretaining-catch f. Said catch is sunken at one end into the cover 1) andprojects at its free end upwardly away from the edge of the cover and isadapted to enter a recess g, formed in the lower side of the exteriorlocking-handle. By this construction when the cover I), having nohandles, is grasped between the handles 0 c it cannot be withdrawntherefrom to permit an opening of the lids while the handle is yet intransverse position.

To steady the exterior handle a in its transverse position, I prefer toprovide upon the cover I) a longitudinal strip h, of spring metal, bentupward at its opposite ends 71 to engage the opposite sides of thelocking-handle 0 when it lies in transverse position.

It will be understood that a slight eifort suffices to turn the handlesover said u pturn ed ends of the clasp h, and that when the handles areto be turned into locking position said ends must first be pressed downwith the finger.

The handles 0 c are preferably located at a point on the length of thecasket, so that they lie above the breast of the person within, so thatthe interior handle can be readily grasped in case of an awakening.

To further facilitate the opening of the cover or lids of the casket andto insure a prompt supply of air to the reviving occupant, I place uponthe interior side walls of the coffin or casket springs i 7 secured tothe body portion a and adapted to press their u pper portion against thecovers to throw them open. When said covers are closed, the springsremain in flexed position, as shown in Fig. 5, exerting their strain toopen the lids as soon as the handles are turned. These springs arepreferably secured to the body portion by a single screw, as at c", soas to be turned down into folded position, as shown in Fig. 2, whendesired, as during the funeral.

Preferably glass windows j are formed in the sides of the casket toadmit sufficient light to locate the handle a from the interior.Shutters k are provided for these windows, which can be closed at thelast moment before the casket is covered with earth. Staypieces Z may beprovided at the ends of the casket to hold the covers I) b againstdisplacement. Furthermore, it should be noted that the springs 2'described may be applied to only one lid of the casket and the other lidbe fastened shut by a catch '07,, if preferred.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. A coffinor casket comprising a box-like body portion, covers hinged to theopposite side walls of said body portion at their outer edges andadapted to meet at their inner edges along a longitudinal line of thecasket, and

. outer and inner handles pivoted on one cover the other cover.

2. A coffin having a body portion a, covers hinged to the opposite sidewalls of said body portion at their outer edges and adapted to meet attheir inner edges, outer and inner locking-handles pivoted on one coverto operate in unison to engage the other cover, and springs arrangedwithin the coflin on the body portion and adapted to engage said coversto throw them open.

3. A coffin having a body portion, a cover hinged thereto at one edge,and a leaf-spring secured at its lower end to the side wall of the bodyportion and extending vertically upward and adapted to be bent intoflexed position by closing the cover, and made to exert strain to opensaid cover, said spring being atits said lower end secured to the sidewall of the coffin-body by a single pivotal screw or bolt and beingadapted to be turned on said screw or bolt in a plane parallel to thewall on which it is mounted and brought to lie wholly within thecoffin-body out of any possible operative engagement with the cover.

4. In a coffin having a body portion a, and covers hinged thereto attheir outer edges and adapted to meet at their inner edges, a boltd,'having a cylindrical middle portion passing through one of saidcovers and squared extensions projecting at both sides and handlessecured on said extensions and adapted to cooperate to engage the othercover.

5. The combination witha coffin having oppositely-opening hinged coversadapted to meet at their free edges, of a handle pivoted on one coverand adapted to be turned to overreach the other cover, said handlehaving on its face next the covers a notch or recess, and a projectingspur or catch on the cover not having the handle pivoted thereon andadapted to enter said notch or recess in the handle.

6. The combination with a coffin having oppositely-opening covers hingedat their outer edges and adapted to meet at theirinner edges whenclosed, of a handle recessed on its inner face and pivoted on one coverand adapted to be turned into transverse position to overlie the othercover, a projecting catch on said other cover to enter said recess ofthe handle, and a retaining-clasp h, longitudinally disposed upon saidother cover and adapted to receive the handle when in looking positionand engage the opposite sides of the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this13th day of December, 1901.

JULIUS KOEGEL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, O. B. PITNEY.

